Oscar Martin, March 2019
Robert Wiene’s seminal film, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, creates a distinct atmosphere of anxiety and fear, a direct result of abstraction, distortion and exaggeration in characterisation and set design. For example, Caligari himself (Werner Krauss) is presented almost as a caricature, undermining the natural through his exaggerated actions. Similarly, the single-room house of Dr Caligari is heavily skewed, with shadows and highlights accentuated through painting. It is done in a way that defies reason and expectation, consequently creating a visually unnatural shot. The overall style of the film is extensively graphic, allowing Wiene to fully explore the grotesque.
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